Adrien Has a Bodyguard for a Reason
by Rosalind2013
Summary: Adrien took the scenic route on the way home, and it turned out to be the wrong decision. Reversed MariChat trope! (Ladrien)


**Buggachat said:**

 **"I read a lot of fics of Chat saving Marinette from a mugging or whatever but where's that sweet Ladybug saving Adrien from a mugging content?"**

 **And I emerged from the depths of Tumblr and said:**

 **"That content might exist in a few hours."**

 **Pfft! I said "Might." Like I wasn't 1000% invested in that idea.**

* * *

 **Adrien Has a Bodyguard for a Reason**

Adrien had always scoffed at his father's stipulation that he take his bodyguard everywhere he went. A fashion model hardly qualified as a celebrity, no matter how excitable his fan club may be.

It was part of the reason why Adrien regularly ditched the Gorilla to go off and have unsupervised fun. This particular time, it had to do with Chat Noir's heroic activities. Adrien took the scenic route on the way home from the akuma attack, and it turned out to be the wrong decision.

He yelped in surprise when someone pulled him into an alley by the back of his designer shirt. The breath whooshed from his lungs as a large man roughly shoved him against the brick wall.

Adrien immediately planted his foot in his attacker's stomach and prepared to push the man back, but something sharp pressed against his windpipe, and Adrien froze.

"Just stay still, and this'll be over real quick," another man said from somewhere to Adrien's left.

The man who pinned him against the wall gave him a hard look, and Adrien couldn't tell whether the knife to his throat was a bluff or not. He narrowed his eyes at his attackers as he tried to formulate an escape plan. If he transformed, the knife wouldn't be able to hit anything vital, but then his cover would be blown.

"I'm gonna search your pockets, kid. No sudden moves, or my friend's hand might slip," the second man said, as if he were speaking to a misbehaving five-year old.

Adrien bit back his retort and resigned himself to his fate. Hopefully they'd pilfer his wallet and let him go. Admittedly, there wasn't much cash in it, but the wallet itself was probably expensive.

Adrien watched impassively as one of his attackers grabbed his wrist and quickly removed his Gabriel brand watch. Adrien sighed as he imagined how his father would react to the knowledge that his son was the victim of a mugging.

A familiar zipping noise cut through the air, and Adrien felt a wave of relief crash over him as the man's knife-wielding hand was jerked back. The weapon clattered to the ground, and Adrien didn't even have time to blink before Ladybug dropped into the alley and yanked him away by the collar of his shirt.

The other guy stared in horror as the superheroine turned her dagger-like glare on him.

"Return what you've stolen," she demanded.

"Y-Yes ma'am! No problem!" he exclaimed, tossing the watch and wallet in Adrien's direction.

"I better not catch you two harassing him again," she warned, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared them down.

The large men cowered in the face of Ladybug's glare and something about her stance screamed white-hot fury. Adrien wondered if he should worry about how attractive he found her in that moment.

As one, the men turned tail and ran for the mouth of the alley. Ladybug grinned as police cars pulled up to block the exit, and police officers descended upon the criminals. Ladybug's triumphant smile faltered as she glanced at Adrien, and she quickly rushed to check him over for injuries.

Adrien blushed furiously as Ladybug gingerly tilted his head back and ran her fingers the spot where the knife nicked him. Her face was close; much too close, and Adrien thought his heart would wear itself out with how quickly it was racing. Her blue eyes were wide with concern and nearly hypnotic as she continued to check for any possible harm that had befallen him.

Blissfully unaware of the fact that her fingers left burning trails wherever she touched him, Ladybug finished her version of a pat down and took a half step back.

"Let's get you home, Hot Stuff," Ladybug said with a wink that short-circuited Adrien's brain.

He was so distracted that he didn't even see it coming when she scooped him up bridal style. Adrien yelped in surprise and instinctively wrapped his arms around her neck.

Ladybug didn't wait for her passenger to get his bearings, and immediately jumped up onto the roof. Soon, Adrien was seeing the rooftops flash by from his spot in Ladybug's arms. He was fairly certain his face was frozen in a permanent state of blushing at that point.

Ladybug saved him from a mugging. Ladybug called him "Hot Stuff". Ladybug was carrying him.

It was a wonder Adrien didn't swoon. He chalked it up to the indomitable desire to commit every moment of that night to memory, which he couldn't do if he were unconscious. All too soon, his house came into view.

"Where to?" Ladybug asked.

Adrien pointed to the third window with an embarrassingly shaky hand.

"There. I always leave that one unlocked when I sneak out," he explained.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow at him, but obliged anyhow. It wasn't until his feet hit the floor that she decided to give him a piece of her mind.

"You really shouldn't leave without your bodyguard, Adrien. You could've gotten hurt tonight," she said.

Her eyebrows were furrowed in concern, and Adrien wished he could reach out and smooth her brow without it being weird. He settled for brushing his fingertips against the back of her hand.

"Thank you for saving me, Ladybug," Adrien whispered.

"It's no problem, really," Ladybug said, as if she'd rehearsed that line many times.

Adrien stepped a bit closer and dug down deep in an effort to dredge up some of his Chat Noir confidence.

"Looks like you were my knight in shining armor tonight," he said, throwing in a wink for good measure.

Ladybug grinned, "Does that make you the damsel in distress?"

Adrien blinked at her; it almost sounded like she was flirting with him. Ladybug chuckled and took a step forward, placing a hand on her hip as she smiled good-naturedly.

"How about a thank you kiss for your knight in shining armor, then?" she asked in a joking tone of voice.

Oh, she was definitely flirting. Adrien ignored the teasing in her tone and closed the distance between them to place a ghost of a kiss on her lips. Ladybug gaped as he pulled away, and then suddenly her hands were in his hair and her lips were planted firmly on his.

She gave him a short, searing kiss that seemed to have melted all cognitive brain function he had left. When she pulled away, Adrien knew his face must have been on fire too, if the satisfied look on Ladybug's face was any indication. Before he could think of anything to say, she was out the window and swinging off into the night.

Adrien immediately melted into a happy little puddle on the floor; oblivious to his Kwami's teasing hoots and whistles.


End file.
